A Review of Bactrocera minax (Diptera: Tephritidae) in China for the Purpose of Safeguarding

The Chinese citrus fly, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the most destructive citrus pest in many citrus production areas in China. The pest is oligophagous, feeding exclusively on the fruits of citrus plants. The pest is univoltine, with adults emerging during April to May and overwintering as pupae. Evidence suggests that the region of origin of the species might be in the elevated temperate southern Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, spreading out through China’s major waterway systems. Currently, B. minax occurs in nine citrus producing provinces in China, but mostly prominently in the five south central provinces or municipalities of Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, and Chongqing. Fruit infestations in these provinces are generally moderate to severe. The species is not reported in the four southern citrus production provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Hainan (island). Orchard sanitation such as collection and treatment of the fallen and hanging infested fruits, mass trapping by using various food-based traps with insecticides, and foliar and ground insecticide sprays are the primary pest management options. Sterile insect technology was studied in the field in the 1980s to 1990s, with promising outcomes. The two highly attractive kairomone lures used for many Bactrocera species, cuelure or methyl eugenol, are not attractive to this species. Hydrolyzed protein, sugar and vinegar mixture, and waste brewer's yeast are the most common lures being used in China. Published data indicated that the quality and efficacy of these lures are inconsistent and disputable. Visual cue lures such as colored sticky spheres are also being used in the field. Preliminary field studies suggested that female rectum extracts demonstrated high attraction to males as well as females of the species. Phytosanitary treatment studies in China focus on irradiation and cold treatment. The outcomes of irradiation appeared promising. When B. minax larvae were treated with an irradiation dose of 50 Gy, no adults emerged from the surviving pupae and larvae failed to pupate when the dose reached 70 Gy. No fruit quality was impacted by the treatment. Results from several small-scale cold treatment studies were less promising and inconsistent. One study indicated that under 0°C constant treatment, no mortality of 3rd instar larvae occurred until day 12, and only 55% mortality occurred by day 22. The scientific and technological gaps in safeguarding US citrus industry from the invasion of this destructive pest include: 1) lack of effective lures for early detection and emergency responses; 2) insufficient work on phytosanitary treatment techniques; and 3) weak definition of and lack of data for B. minax pest free areas in China.